Hoyer: Limbaugh's attack 'vicious,' 'indefensible'

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) had some strong words for Rush Limbaugh today, whose comments attacking Sandra Fluke last week have garnered widespread criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.

"Rush Limbaugh's attack on Sandra Fluke was beyond the pale, indefensible, vicious, and intimidating to others who might want to, in a very honest fashion, testify before the Congress of the United States," Hoyer told reporters in a pen and pad briefing on Tuesday.

Limbaugh called Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute" during his radio show last week after she testified in front of a Democratic steering committee about the need for increased insurance coverage of contraceptives. Limbaugh came back the next day asking that Fluke repay taxpayers who are paying for her contraceptives with a sex tape.

The comments resulted in at least nine companies pulling their advertisements from Limbaugh's radio show, and prompted the controversial conservative talk show host to release a paper apology over the weekend, and then apologize live on his show on Monday.

Hoyer said his frustration with Limbaugh goes beyond the issue of contraceptives. In my view, forget about the issue itself, this was an absolutely outrageous treatment of a young woman who had the opportunity to come before members of Congress and give her opinion of importance to women's health," Hoyer said.

"But I will tell you, I have three daughters, and if he had treated one of my daughters that way I would have been even more outraged than I am for Sandra Fluke," Hoyer continued, "To treat people in a way that is so outrageous."